Recent reporting has highlighted a sharp rise in ADHD medication use across the UK, particularly among adults and women. National data shows prescriptions more than tripling over the past decade. From a clinical perspective, however, this trend is better understood not as a sudden change in behaviour, but as the delayed recognition of a condition that has long gone unaddressed — especially in adults.
This aligns closely with what we are seeing in Oxfordshire.
Many adults now presenting for ADHD assessment are not seeking medication as a first step. They are seeking clarity. A large proportion arrive after years — sometimes decades — of coping strategies that have finally collapsed under pressure: professional burnout, anxiety, relationship strain, or repeated cycles of exhaustion and self-criticism. For women in particular, ADHD has often been masked by academic success, perfectionism, or an ability to compensate at great personal cost.
The rise in adult prescriptions reflects this backlog coming into view.
Historically, ADHD was framed as a childhood condition characterised by visible hyperactivity, a model that overlooked quieter, inattentive presentations and systematically failed to recognise girls. Many of the adults we see today were never assessed when younger, not because symptoms were absent, but because
they did not fit the stereotype. Their later diagnosis is less a new phenomenon than a long-overdue correction.
Medication, in this context, is not driving diagnosis. Diagnosis is driving medication — and often cautiously.
In clinical practice, medication is introduced after careful assessment, discussion, and consideration of alternatives. For some, it provides significant relief by reducing cognitive noise, improving emotional regulation, and enabling other supports — such as psychological strategies — to work effectively. For others, it plays a more limited or temporary role. The decision is rarely simple and almost never automatic.
It is also important to recognise that, despite the increase in prescribing, treatment rates remain well below estimated ADHD prevalence. This strongly suggests that many individuals who could benefit from assessment and support are still not being reached. Rising medication use, then, should not be mistaken for excess. It points instead to persistent unmet need.
In Oxfordshire, delays in NHS assessment pathways remain a major factor. Long waiting times mean many adults only seek help once difficulties have escalated. By the time they present, ADHD is often entangled with secondary anxiety, depression, or loss of confidence — conditions that might have been mitigated by earlier recognition.
This matters because ADHD is not simply a problem of attention. Left unsupported, it affects employment stability, academic progression, relationships, and mental health. Timely diagnosis allows individuals to understand their experiences, adjust expectations, and access appropriate treatment — medication where helpful, but also education, coaching, and psychological support.
From our perspective, the national data reflects a healthcare system beginning to acknowledge what clinicians have long observed: ADHD persists into adulthood, presents differently across individuals, and has been significantly under-recognised. The task now is not to question whether this rise is legitimate, but to ensure services are equipped to respond thoughtfully, consistently, and early — before years of unnecessary strain accumulate.
